Big Trouble: A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets Off a Struggle for the Soul of America

This book's core concerns itself with early 20th century labor violence in the western mines, but thereafter sprawls wondrously through all sorts of historical asides, including the history of the Pinkerton Detective agency. Whereever Lukas takes you, you enjoy the ride and he seems to capture an era in American history through the single incident of a bomb explosion that killed a former governor of Idaho and the ensuing trial of its alleged perpetrators.

Had J. Anthony Lukas chosen to write a straightforward history of the murder of the former governor of Idaho, Frank Steunenberg, and the conspiracy trial that arose therefrom, the book, "Big Trouble: A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets off a Struggle for the Soul of America," would have been 200 pages long instead of the present 754 pages. But, oh how much the poorer we all would have been! In a remarkable feat of research and writing, Lukas spins together an unbelievably rich tapestry of politics, crime and culture to dress the framework of murder and intrigue, so improbably set in turn-of-the-previous-century Idaho. I am a native Idahoan, yet I learned more of Idaho history, labor wars, criminal detection, class warfare and show more political and legal shenanigans than I thought possible. And this does not exhaust the multitude of other topics addressed. For example, on the slenderest thread of connection to the trial of the conspirators in Boise, Lukas manages to interweave a charming and fascinating history of baseball in Southern Idaho in 1906-07 which launched the career of one of the greatest pitchers of all time, Walter Johnson. Yet he manages to do so without losing the reader or the main topic - the criminal trial. The writing is accessible and extremely enjoyable. Lukas's own political stance in refrence to the happenings can be apprehended, yet there is an even-handedness throughout that saves the book from becoming a preachy polemic. How unfortunate that Lukas took his own life the day he made final changes to the manuscript. The seven years he put into the reseach for this book were not wasted, but it is sad to know that there will be no more such writing from this author. show less

Well written, but veers off for long stretches and doesn't connect back smoothly. Disappointing

3140. Big Trouble / A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets Off a Struggle for the Soul of America, by J Anthony Lukas (read Dec 30, 1998) This is a whale of a book, and tells well a fascinating story. It has a lot of digressions and if you just want to get the story of the Steunenberg killing on Dec. 30, 1905, and its aftermath you can get that more efficiently other places, but this is an eminently worthwhile book. The fact that it is a big book simply impresses one with the sweep of the astounding story it tells.

One of the best history books I've read about America. In the author's note at the beginning, Lukas lays out his reason for writing the book and covering it the way he did. It is a big sprawling book and covers a huge amount of background. In a lot of ways the book is more context than subject.

Historical drama about the investigation of the assassination of an ex-Governor of Idaho in late December 1905; takes readers on various excursions in the life and times of US at the turn of the century; power, wealth, capital and labour, lead prosecutors, Sen. William Edgar Borah; the lead defense attorney, Clarence Darrow; James McParland, a Pinkerton agent, social conglomerates, miners' federation, railroads, small western town, gunslingers.